Self-centering centrifugal liquid separator



Aug. 4, 1925.

1548,1508 c. H. HACKETT SELF CENTERING CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID SEPARATOR Filed Nov. 10, 1925 Inventor,

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Patented Aug. 4, 1925 NITED STATES CHARLES H. HACKETT, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

SELF-CENTERING CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID SEPABATOR.

Application filed November 10, 1923.

- T 0 all whom may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. HA KETT, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SclfCenter ing Centrifugal Liquid Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in centrifugal separators, and the object of my improvement isto so adapt the parts. of such an apparatus relatively to each other as to insure easy operation, prevent rotatory oscillations or gyrations of the separator, and conduce toward economy in the first cost as in the maintenance thereof. v

This object I have achieved successfully by theconstruction and manner of assemblage of the separator elements which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a central vertical longitudinal section of a centrifugal liquid separator bowl and of its lining elements as assembled together.

The figure is on anenlarged scale, of a diagrammatic nature, and represents a wellknown type of construction, but it is to be understood that the method of operation of my invention is such as to be successfully used with any kind of apparatus of this class.

As the art of centrifugal liquid separators is well known to those skilled therein, 1 have shown only the-bowl and liner thereof, omitting any showing or description of means or mechanism for supporting and operating the same. This class of devices are employed to separate the lighter and heavier constituents of a liquid of a mixed or emulsive nature, and to deliver the separated liquids into different receptacles.

The bowl shown is of the closed type, having a cylindrical hollow body part 1 with upwardly coned top part terminatlng upwardly in a diminshed cylindrical part 4 whose closed top 7 has a central opening The discoidal bottom part 2 of the bowl has a raised margin within which is removablyf fitted the lower edge of the bowl part 1 to rest sealingly upon a rubber ring or gasket 21 mounted in a concentric annular, groove of said part 2.

A tubular structure 9 is fixed in an axial position within'the bowl, and may be in tegral with the bottompart 2 or aifixed Serial No. 673,917.

thereto by any improved method, and the upper part of the spindle 3 is seated within the lower part of the tube 9 after being passed through an opening in the part 2 and fixed therein. The tube 9 has a cross septum or imperforate partition 10 therein about half way up in the bowl and the tube has on opposite sides immediately above this septum like longitudinal delivery slots or ports 12. The hollow 11 in the upper part of this tube opens without the bowl, the upper extremity of the tube which projects above the bowl top 7 being exteriorly threaded to receive a clamping-nut 13 which thus compressively clamps the bowl 1 upon the bottom part 2. The diminished head part 4 of the bowl is supplied with the usual exit-ports 5 and 6 for the separated constituents of the liquid.

The parts above described are clamped together rigidly but the liner elements now to be described are assembled therewith loosely permitting unlimited rotational movements with or without other restricted movements thereof under certain conditions of operation. a

The numeral 14 denotes a tubular sleeve which is loosely fitted upon the said tube 9 and has in its inner wall oppositely lo cated longitudinal grooved passages 16 closed at the top but open at the bottom, the upper parts of these passages communicating with the tube slots or ports 12. These passages 16 lie partially within a plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs 15 which latter serveas wings or projecting spacers for nested separating devices 25 mounted therearound in a centrally spaced relation at 29, and the longitudinal spaces between adjacent ribs serve as conduits for the separated lighter constitutent of the liquid. These conduits are not shown in the drawing, but are a well-known feature in apparatus exemplified herein.

l Vithin the lower part of the bowl 1 is a hollow device 17 whose function is to catch and retain solid particles which may be a content of the liquid to be separated. This kind of device is also known in the art, but I have shown therein a modification adapting it for the purposes of my invention, and which consists in giving it a bottom part 18 joined to its frustal body 17 the part 18 having a central opening to loosely receive the tube 9 therethrough.

The top of the frustum 17 is horizontal and has ports 20, as also a central opening in which the lower end of the sleeve 1% is rigidly stepped so that the passages 16 are in communication with the interior of the device 17, and within the ports 20.

As all the separating devices 25 are likewise frusto-conical'they have top parts 27 also horizontal, and have at their lower edges the circumferential horizontal margins 26. in superposed relation, a number of spacing bosses 28 being fixed on the under faces of said margins to serve as spacers to hold the devices 25 a desired distance apart vertically, and the bosses on the lowermost device 25 likewise are supported on a similar flat ring fixed on the device 17. Above the pile of separating frusta 25 is similarly supported and spaced a conical body 22 termin-ating upwardly in a short cylindrical part2?) with inturned margin about a' central opening 24 whereby said margin is positioned loosely about the sleeve top 14. The operation of this apparatus is the usual one for this class. The bowl is by appropriate mechanism gradually brought up to a rotation upon its longitudinal axis of approximately ten thousand rotations per minute. The emulsion or liquid to be separated is then poured into the hollow 11. of the tube 9, whence asit acquires the circular motion of the tube by friction it is thrown outwardly through the slots 12 and passes downwardly through the passages 16 into the device 17. The liquid first circulates through the hollow frustum 17 part ing therewith its content if any of solid particles which are retained in the outer bottom angle for later removal. The cleansed liquid then ascends through the ports 20 into the interior of the bowl liand progresses upwardly through the concentric annular spaces or openings 29 0f the separating frusta 25. In its progression and under the influence of centrifugal force the liquid is sprayed into the inter-spaces of these frusta, and becomes separated in these interspaces into its lighter and heavier constituents in a well-known way, the lighter constituent being forced inwardly by the reaction of the heavier particles t6 enter and traverse the interspaces of the ribs 15 and passing through the opening 24: to the exit-port or ports 6. The heavier separated constituent of the liquid passes from between the frusta 25 to the inner wall of the body 1, thence moves upwardly between the dividing cone 2223 and is delivered through the exit-port or ports 5. The usual method of assembling the separator bowl and its'liner is toso conskilled mechanics, but in spite of the utmost care and skill different elements often are in some slight particular imperfect in shape, unsymmetrical or varying in places in weight ,and the cost of manufacture is greatly enhanced. During use, various imperfections develop frequently of the above nature, because'of carelessness of the operator or others, so that the device does not rotate evenly but acquires gyratory move ments for which special bearings have to be devised, without however removing the cause, and the mechanism becomes frictionally bound in places making it work harder, until it becomes necessary to ship the apparatus to the factory for expert treatment. 7

These inconveniences, and a large part of the initial cost as also of the maintenance are obviated by my new method of varying the construction and especially the assemblage of the liner parts of the bowl.

,A perfectly shaped bowl being provided, which will rotate on an undeviated axis, I modify the arrangement of some of the separating devices therein when assembled so as to have them loose for unlimited rotational movements with or without other kinds of limited movements while under the combined influences of gravity, and centrifugal and centripetal forces. As shown in the drawing, only the bowl parts and the tube 9 are clamped together rig? idly, all the separating devices which are in the bowl around the tube 9 being loosely assembled for unlimited rotational move ment, with spacing or separable contacts insuring any necessary shifting or, rearrangement thereof of any of them when the bowl is in high speed of rotation or while attaining that speed. Any part or parts which may be slightly unsymmetrt cal or be of uneven weights in opposite parts may under the pull of the above forces freely rotate to any extent or other wise shift to freely rotate in either direction while at the same time readjust ing their positions limitedly in other direc tions to a position or relative positons where they are self-centered in the bowl, and tend to keep the bowl and its contents rotating on an invariable axis, free from oscillations and gyrations. As continued use gives these parts a habitual tendency to repeat the same self-centering movements, for any wear thus occasioned is favorable to this tendency, as time goes on the operation even if at first slightly imperfect, improves toward perfection, perfection being the uniform stability of the axisof the bowl.

The above is the contrary to that of the separator having a rigid structure throughout or whose partshave strictly limited rotational movements, since the latter, if not perfect in shape, construction and assemblagc, will tend to increase and exaggerate the defects, requiring frequent change and repair at considerable cost and delay.

The drawing illustrates, in an exaggerated way, the shifted or self-centered positions of the diiferent liner frusta which because of some of said defects depart from perfection. When these frusta have settled or gyration.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of self-centering a centrifugal device which includes a rotatable body, consisting of loosely mounting an element upon said body whereby under the action of different forces upon said element during rotation of said body said element may shift its relative posit-ion by unlimited rotational movement to thereby stabalize the axis of rotation of the device.

2. The method of self-centering a centrifugal liquid separator, consisting in mounting the liner elements thereof to have one or more of them loosely assembled with the others for free rotational movement, whereby inequalities in the loosely mounted elements become equalized by free shifting of the elements during the rotation of the separator.

8. The method of constructing a centrifugal liquid separator having a bowl containing a plurality of separating devices, which consists of assembling said devices relatively loosely and freely rotatably in the bowl in a manner which permits them to move freely in any direction under the influence of forces acting upon them during the rotation of the bowl.

4. The method of constructing an automatically self-centering centrifugal liquid separator bowl containing a plurality of lining devices, which consists in providing a bowl shaped to have an invariable rotational axis, and in assembling said devices loosely and for unlimited rotation in the bowl to permit of the relative shifting of any of them under different forces which act upon them while the bowl is rotating, to thus maintain said invariable axis in the combined parts.

5. In combination, a rotatable liquid separator bowl having an inlet and having separate outlets for the separated constituents of the liquid, and lining devices assembled within the bowl for unlimited rotational movements and other free limited movements in any direction therein.

6. In combination, a rotatable separator bowl having inlets and outlets, and a plurality of lining devices within the bowl, of which some have free unlimited rotational movements therein to permit them while under the influence of different forces which combine during the rotation of the bowl, to shift appropriately to stabalize the axis of rotation of the combined device.

7 In combination, in a rotatable separator, a rotatable bowl having lining devices partly fixed and in part movable, the mov-- able devices being assembled for unlimited rotation with the fixed devices suitably to assume positions while the bowl is rotating which tend to stabalize the position of the rotational axis of the separator.

8. I11 combination, a rotatable separator bowl having both an inlet and outlets, and different separating devices assembled therein for relative free movements, one device being shaped and positioned for a certain separation of one constituent of a combination substance, and the other devices for the separation and delivery apart of other constituents of said substance, either device or any of them being capable of automatic unlimited rotational rearrangement of relative position while subjected to forces which are active upon them during the rotation of the bowl, to thereby stabilize the rotational movement of the whole.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 8th day of November, 1923.

CHARLES H. HAGKETT. 

